Clashes in Beit Ommar
Photo: Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement
Video shows troops hitting, cursing leftists
'You Arab son-of-a-bitch,' soldier calls protester as arrests in Beit Ommar erupt in violence
A video clip obtained by Ynet Saturday shows IDF soldiers cursing, beating and degrading leftist protesters they were sent to arrest in Beit Ommar.
One of the soldiers was caught on tape whispering in a protester's ear, "You're so gay, you son-of-a-bitch." When the protester said he hadn't heard, the soldier yelled the phrase out.
The violent clashes erupted in the West Bank village, where a number of people rallied to protest an IDF checkpoint established to prevent stone-throwing by residents, when one of the protesters asked a soldier why he was being arrested.
The troops then began to use force with the uncooperative leftists, some of them minors, and one was documented hitting a protester in the neck and pushing him away.
The clashes reached a climax when one of the troops yelled out the degrading phrase, afterwards saying, "Get out of here you Arab son-of-a-bitch".
Finally 17 members of the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement were detained for questioning, and four were taken into custody.
The IDF said earlier Saturday, in response to claims made by the movement of a closure in the village, that no closure had been imposed on Beit Ommar but that "precautions are being taken in order to lessen stone-throwing at Israeli vehicles in the area". The village is located close to Hebron.
The army has not responded to the video clip so far.
Lihi Yafe, one of the activists taken into custody, claims she and her colleagues had not broken any laws. "The soldiers said it was a closed military zone but refused to produce the orders. They were very aggressive. One of our activists took a punch, his shirt was torn and he was pushed. Later a stun grenade was fired at us," she said.
Assaf Sharon, another member of the movement, said, "We object to the continuing closure on Beit Ommar, following fire by settlers from which two residents of the village were injured two weeks ago."
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